John Lithgow slaps away Harry Potter role row as he says JK Rowling controversy 'didn't affect' him
John Lithgow has brushed aside concerns surrounding the ongoing Harry Potter controversy, insisting the backlash linked to author JK Rowling “didn’t really affect” him while filming the upcoming television adaptation.
The 80-year-old actor, who is set to portray Professor Albus Dumbledore in HBO’s forthcoming Harry Potter series, addressed the ongoing row during an interview with Radio Times while promoting his new film Jimpa.
Mr Lithgow admitted some members of the cast had been “troubled” by the debate surrounding Ms Rowling’s views, but said he has ultimately “overcome” any anxieties he initially had about joining the project.
“The experience of doing the first season was just wonderful,” he said.
“The controversy didn’t really affect us at all, although many of the actors were troubled by it.”
The actor added: “I’ve overcome my anxiety about that, just because I believe so deeply in the project and I like to think that my work over the years speaks for itself in terms of my own beliefs.”
The Harry Potter television reboot has remained at the centre of fierce debate due to criticism surrounding the author's views on gender identity and transgender issues.
“Harry Potter is a wonderful canon of books, and at the very heart of them is tolerance, kindness, acceptance, winning out over cruelty, evil, intolerance, and it’s aimed at a young audience,” he explained.
“I’m very moved by the entire enterprise.”
The actor also insisted he understood why the issue mattered deeply to trans people, revealing he personally knows individuals who felt transitioning was necessary for survival.
“I know transgender people who have made this extremely courageous choice in their lives,” he said.
“To them, it was a choice between transitioning or ending their life.
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"That’s how deeply felt this issue is to transgender people, so how can you not be on their side?”
Despite acknowledging the seriousness of the debate, Mr Lithgow admitted he remains “bemused” by the scale of controversy attached to the Harry Potter adaptation.
“So the controversy surrounding Harry Potter, I do understand it, but I’m also bemused by it,” he added.
The veteran performer said he even believes his views make him “the right person” to portray Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore.
“To me, I’m the right person to play Dumbledore almost because of my embrace of this issue,” he explained.
Mr Lithgow’s casting in the major HBO reboot was confirmed earlier this year, with the series expected to adapt all seven Harry Potter novels over multiple seasons.
The actor admitted the lengthy commitment initially felt “a little intimidating”, particularly as he began filming at the age of 80.
“It’s a lovely way to grow old in a marvellous role in a marvellous project,” he said.
Away from Harry Potter, Mr Lithgow stars alongside Olivia Colman in Jimpa, a deeply personal independent drama inspired by director Sophie Hyde’s own family experiences.
The film explores generational tensions surrounding identity and parenting, themes Mr Lithgow suggested connected closely to the current cultural climate.
The actor has enjoyed one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed careers, previously portraying figures including Winston Churchill in The Crown and author Roald Dahl in the stage production Giant, for which he won an Olivier Award.
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